Five Good Things From the Arizona Cardinals 2016 Season
By Jeremy Meek
Markus Golden established himself as a dangerous pass rush threat
The Cardinals saw something in Markus Golden that other teams did not when they drafted him in the second round (58th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. The concerns were that he didn’t have enough athleticism to ever be a consistent pass rusher as a professional.
In his second season in the NFL, Golden has established himself as a player who has to be watched. With a game left to play, he leads the Cardinals with 10 sacks, half a sack more than free agent acquisition Chandler Jones. He also forced three fumbles, and recovered one.
Free agency is going to be tricky for the Cardinals, with decisions needing to be made on several key players prior to next season, including some important parts of the front seven on defense. Golden’s emergence gives them some leeway in deciding who to re-sign.
It’s always nice to see young players develop and grow into being key members of the team. Golden has done just that, and could get even better. Knowing that the Cardinals will definitely have him back should provide some comfort for fans. Watching him excel has been fun.